Heights Junior High has been such a blessing for our family. The teachers and staff truly care…read moreabout the students--not just academically, but spiritually and emotionally as well. It's clear that they are passionate about helping each child grow into a confident, respectful, and faith-driven young person. The small, supportive environment makes a huge difference. Students are encouraged to succeed, and there's a real sense of community where everyone feels seen and valued. I especially appreciate how faith is woven into everyday learning, helping students build strong character and a solid foundation for high school and beyond. The teachers and staff go above and beyond, always communicating well with parents and creating a safe, nurturing space for kids to thrive. My daughter has grown so much during her time here, and we are truly grateful for the impact this school has had on their life! All of the teachers have made such a big impact on her, and with this being her last few months on this campus, she's going to miss each and every one of them! I cannot put into words how much the Principal Troy Kimura has meant to my daughter. Troy has made such a steady source of strength, support, and faith, and has gotten my daughter through some very tough moments she and myself will always be so thankful for. He has made a lasting difference in my daughter's life, and we will always be grateful for the kindness and love he has shown. If you're looking for a Junior high, I HIGHLY recommend this campus to any family that prioritizes both education and faith!

UPDATE (April 2026): It is worth noting the suspicious…read moretiming of the most recent activity on this page. My initial review was posted three months ago. Prior to that, the most recent rating was a 2-star review from a year ago. Now, suddenly, within the last two weeks, there has been a wave of four 5-star reviews--some even mentioning the Principal by name. For parents doing their research: please take note of this pattern. It is quite a coincidence that after a year of silence, the school suddenly receives a surge of perfect ratings just as enrollment season peaks and my initial detailed review remains unaddressed. It appears the school is focused on "padding" their online image to drown out a parent's honest experience. Interestingly, looking back at the school's history, there are older reviews (if you filter 1 star reviews) from 9 years ago documenting that previous administrations also solicited 'glowing reviews' from parents. It seems that instead of evolving, the school has maintained a long-standing pattern of prioritizing image management over addressing the root causes of parent concerns. A sudden spike in positive comments doesn't erase the documented favoritism and safety concerns I've detailed in my original review below. [Original Review Below January 2026] I truly wanted to support this school, but after a year, I had to withdraw my daughter for her own well-being. The environment is deeply toxic, specifically regarding a practice known as 'rage baiting.' This is a form of targeted harassment where students intentionally provoke or mock a specific peer until that student has an emotional outburst. Despite this being brought to the attention of leadership, the administration does little to intervene. There is a disturbing pattern of chronic absenteeism among students who were simply avoiding school as a survival mechanism because the environment had become emotionally unsafe. Leadership needs to conduct a serious internal audit to understand why students are choosing to stay home rather than face the daily provocation allowed within these walls. Furthermore, my daughter witnessed a disturbing lack of empathy and discipline in the classroom. While there are no special-needs students attending the school, students frequently use 'disabled' as an insult. If a student asks a question that others perceive as 'dumb,' they are mocked with offensive hand gestures simulating a disability. Teachers observe this and say nothing, allowing this culture of mockery to go unchecked. This behavior is compounded by clear favoritism. The principal's child is part of a dominant social group that appears 'untouchable' due to their father's position. While my daughter was labeled a 'bully' by the principal for a single reactive incident in an unmanaged classroom (kicking the chair of a disruptive "star athlete" student), star athletes and well-connected students receive preferential treatment regardless of their conduct. Despite the school's branding, we found no evidence of Christian values here. Their final interaction with us was a petty dispute over a book that was sitting right in front of them--a fitting end to a year focused more on tuition than student character.

This school is amazing! It has many great opportunities for students including electives like…read moregraphic design, photography, video productions, art class, robotics, band, orchestra, guitar, choir, and dance. It also has clubs including mock trial, green team, bible club, chess club, and Jr art society. The campus is beautiful and has many plants, trees, and flowers all planted and grown by students and teachers at green team which is an after school club where students and teachers grow plants making this campus look gorgeous. There are awesome teachers that are kind and help students a lot. It is also the only middle school in the area with a track. It's amazing watching all the track and field tournaments happening all at Benton, all the middle schools come to Benton just to compete for track and field.

Its ok but rivals are better. Academics are ehh. Their focus is dancing and enrichments, but not…read moreeven teaching.

This is a wonderful school. My son loves to go to school. We transferred here from an adjacent…read moredistrict and could not be happier.

Everyone is very welcoming, I have made so many friends there. Everyone likes to encourage one…read moreanother to join groups being offered. The deacons are nice and you end up being their friend. I love Beatitudes of our Lord, I feel it's my second home.

Sad to say, this school does not practice what they preach. We were looking for a new school for…read moreour two kids and heard mixed reviews about this school but still decided to check it out. Within minutes of getting there we got weird vibes. The front office lady was not very friendly. It was like as if we weren't good enough from the beginning. We were fortunate enough to run into the principal (I think his name was Mr. V) and I was like oh thank god, someone else to base the school off of. Ummm he was even worse. Very click ish and made us feel like if we didn't beg to get in, we weren't getting in. Seeing him interact with everyone was cringe. You are either in the click or you're not. The amount of paperwork requested was ridiculous and no other school asked for 3-4 years worth of report cards. We had heard the school is small and doesn't have much to offer but were wanting to check it out to make our own opinion. This school is a HARD PASS. The staff is not friendly. Don't waste your time.

If you like that small town feel La Pluma is it!!! We live in the garden hill area but drive our…read moredaughters to La Pluma because of its vibe. Everyone knows everyone. The kids are seen and each child is well loved and taken care of. The teachers care and its like a small town where families help eachother. It takes an army to raise children and we are so grateful we found La Pluma. Since TK till 5th grade every year has been a blessing.

This school is such a hidden gem in our community! The principal, staff and teachers are all such…read moregreat people! I would highly recommend this school! The ladies in the front office are so welcoming every time I come to the office. The teachers always go above and beyond to help the kids. I also am super happy that the class sizes are smaller in the lower grade levels! Thank you Mrs. Bixby and your team for such a great elementary experience!

Some good stuff and some bad stuff. I went to escalona from kindergarten to 5th grade, and there…read morewere some great teachers. Most of them probably are retired now, but Mrs. Webber and Mrs. Blass were so nice to have as teachers. Now let's get to the ones I hope don't work there anymore. Mrs. Vaquez was my teacher during COVID and she was rude to me as I am to little kids on CoD. Mrs. Lee's class was ok but she was always unnecessarily yelling at me. Recently, I heard someone at the school called my little cousin the N word. But little kids are all saying that now, it's pretty much unavoidable. Mrs. Litle (former principal) was also mean for no reason. Overall the education was good just teachers weren't that good, but that comes with every school. Overall I would recommend this school if you're looking for somewhere to send your kid.

It's a pretty good school, when my daughter went there about 3 years ago the principal wasn't very…read moregood but they have a new principal and she is way better and is really reshaping the school. The black top and handball walls all got repainted as well as all the blank walls making this school look very colorful and happy.

This number does not go to the district it goes to Foster Rd Elementary giving 5 stars because the…read moreprincipal was so nice to redirect me to the correct number of 562-210-2000

Diaz Hardwood Flooring Great work professional and fast service great worker and clean up.read more

It is a fun school but there is just a lot of kids and the teachers don't really know what's going…read moreon at lunch because there are so many kids. 6th grade is fun because you are new to middle school 7th grade they are chill and they kinda expect you to know everything 8th is basically the same as 7th just older teachers.

raine is literally THAT girl like?? smart, funny, and always…read morecarrying the group projects at the same time.. she makes school 10x better just by existing, like her energy is like yes.. Jollibee masarap energy all day, every day always got a joke ready like it's a Chickenjoy combo with extra humor, but still somehow gets everything done early?? actual wizard behavior fr happy ang po birthday queen the type of girl who turns stressful days into a full-on Happy Lang vibes moment just by being there, The best student in every class because she has a perfect example of talkative, genius and nice, . period. iconic. no further questions. Jolli-bestie certified.